George ligowsky



(No Mddel.

r G. LIGOWSKY.

TARGET TRAP.

No. 252,230. Patented Jan. 10,1882.

N. PETERS. Phcbulhu nphar. Wnhl UNITED STATES GEORGE LIGOWSKY, OFCINCINNATI, OHIO, ASSIGNOR CLAY PIGEON COMPANY, OF SAME PATENT OFFICE.

TO THE LIGOWSKY PLACE.

TARG ET-TRA P.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 252,230, dated January10, 1882. Application filed May 16, 1881. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, GEORGE LiGowsKv, ofCincinnati, Hamilton county, Ohio, have invented eertain new and usefulImprovements 5 in Target-Traps, of which the following is aspecification.

The object of this invention is to furnish a trap especially adapted forthrowing the peculiar form of flying targets seen in Letters Patent No.231,919, granted to me September 7, 1880; and thetrap consists,essentially, ot'a spring-lever, target-clamp, trigger, adjustablestandard, and devices for maintaining said standard atany desiredinclination, all as here- 1 inafter more fully described, and pointedout in the claims.

In the annexed drawings, Figure l is a side elevation of my trap, thespring'lcver being shown in its normal position and the target clampdetached therefrom. Fig. 2 is a vertical section of a portion of theadjustable standard. Fig. 3 is a plan of the trap-head, the spring-leverbeing shown bent. from its normal position and engaged with the triggerof the 2 5 implement. Fig. at is an enlarged elevation of thetarget-clam p attached to the spring-lever.

Fig. 5 is an elevation of the trigger.

Referring to Fig. l, the base or stand of the trapis shown as consistingofa tripod, A A A,

0 radiating from a common center, 13, which latter is bored axially at bto admit the standardspindle G, that is held in position by means of acollar or nut, a, or otherwise. This tripod is surmounted at top with anannular flange, that .is notched so as to afford a circular rack, D,with which rack is engaged a detent or pawl, E, loaded at cand pivotedat e to the lower memher or section, F, of the adjustable standard.

This section has a serrated or notched knuckle,

40 f, wherewith. is engaged a similar knuckle,

g, of the intermediate standardsection, G. H is a pivot-bolt, and halever-nut, which devices lock firmly together these knuckles.

The upper end of section G has a knuckle, g,

engaged with a knuckle, i, of the third section,

I, of the standard, a pivot-bolt, J, and nutj beingemployed for couplingthe members G and I Section I terminates with a circular flange, K,three radiating lugs, L L L, and a cylindrical hub or head, M, whichlatter has applied to it a ring-cap, N, carryingasegmental rack, O, ofany desired length. Located between this flange K and rack O, andsurrounding the t-argethead M, is the coiled portion 1;

of a spring-lever, P, the fixed end of said coil 5 being engaged withthe lug L, while the free end of the lever has a pin or otherappropriate device, 1), for the convenient attachment cf the target-clamp seen in Fig. 4. This clamp is c n'nposed of a bar, R, having at itsinner 66 end an attaching-socket, r, and at the outer end a button ordisk, 1', a thumb-lever, S, being pivoted to said barat s. The outer endof this thun'ib-lever has a button, 8, maintained in contact with theother button, r, by a 6 spring, T, coiled around a rod, 1, which latteris screw-threaded and provided with a tensionnut, t. Rod 15 passesfreely through a slot in lever S, and has its lower end secured to thebar R. 70

l l are steady-pins projecting upward] y from the two lugs L L.

Adapted to rotate on the top of head M is a swivel-hinge, m, to which iscoupled a tensionarm, U, the free end of which is hcntdown so 7 as tobring the trigger to the same level as the spring-lever I, which latterdevice must be so applied as to avoid contact with" the segmental rack0. This trigger, as seen in Fig.5,consists of a plate, V, slotted at itsfront end at o, and having pivoted to it at v a jaw or catch, W.

20 isa spring that maintains this catch W in its normal or closedcondition, said catch b'- 7 ing opened at the proper moment by a cord,10', that is carried down and passed under a. sheave, X, and thencontrolled by the person who operates the trap. This sheave is adaptedto run along a bar, Q, which latter is so applied to the frame Y as tolocate said sheave in the mostoonvenient position for causing the cord 0to operate the trigger. The frameY is preferably triangular, and hasholes 3 to receive spikes or stakes y, wherewith the trap is securelypinned to the ground.

It is preferred to cast shoes a a! a to the feet of the tripod, whichshoes should fit into the angles of the frame Y and be secured theretowith bolts Z, as seen in Fig. 3.

The trap is usually employed for imparting a horizontal flight to-thetarget, which result is accomplished by slackening the nuts h j and thensetting thcjointsfg and rig so as to preserve the standard 1 G l in anerect position and dispose the spring-lever B horizontally. Thetension-arm U is then engaged with the third or fourth notch of rack O,and the lever l is swung around and locked by the catch NV of trigger V,as seen in Fig. 3. thumb lever Sis now opened far enough to admitbetween the buttons 1" s the tongue or other lateral projection of thetarget. These precautions having been carried out, the attendant thenpulls the cord '10 so as to depress the free end of catch \V, therebyliberating the lever I and leaving it free to fly around in thedirection indicated by the arrow in Fig. 3, the velocity of thissweeping motion being exactly proportioned to the tension imparted tothe coil 1) when said lever was first engaged with the trigger. Whenthis sweeping motion of the lever has attained its maximum velocity thetongue of the target is automatically disengaged from the clamp r s, andsaid target skims otf with a spinning action that closely imitates theflight of a quail; but the moment this maximum velocity has been reachedthe further sweep of the lever is gradually arrested on its own coilp,thereby preventing a violent jarorconcussion, and thusobviat ing thebreakage of the target, which latter, being composed of a fragilematerial, would be shattered to pieces in case thelcver should bechecked with a sudden stop, as is customary with those traps employedfor throwing the ordinary balls.

The trap can be set; to throw the targets to any point of the compass bysimply lifting the pawl E out of the rack D and then turning thestandard 1 G- I around as far as may be desired, after which act saidpawl is re-engaged with the rack, and the standard is securely lockedagainst rotation until it is again intentionally shifted.

By properly manipulating the joints the standard can be pitched to anysuitable angle,

The

so as to cause the target to fly obliquely according to the force anddirection of the wind.

From the above description it is evident the two lock-joints allow analmost unlimited range of angular adjustment of the trap, and at thesame time they enable the implement to beheld securely in positionafterthc desired range has been obtained. ing the tension-arm U to therear notch of rack O the spring 1) will be coiled with a very greatdegree offorce; but by engaging said arm with any notch between thefirst and last one of said rack the power of the spring can be regulatedto suit circumstances. I urthermore, the nut t allows the lever S of theclamp to be adjusted so as to hold the targcttongue with any suitabledegree of force.

[ claim as my invention 1. The combination, in a target-trap, of aspring-lever, a rack, and an adjustable tensionarm carrying the trigger,with which latter is engaged said lever, as herein described.

2. The combination of spring-lcverPp, head M, segmental rack 0,adjustable tensionarm U, and trigger V W, as herein described.

3. In combination with the targct-trap,head M, having the spring portion1; oflever P coiled around it, for the purposedescribed, thejointedstandards F G- I, notched knuckles fg g, bolts H J, and nuts hj, asherein set forth, and for the object stated.

t. The combination, in a target-trap, of a clamp consisting of the barlt a", pivoted lever S s, spring T, screw-threaded rod t, and adjustablenut 1 as dcscri bed.

5. The trigger consisting of the slotted plate V o, pivoted catch 2/ 7,and spring 10, as described.

In testimony of which invention I hereunto set my hand. 1

GEORGE LIGOWSKY. Witnesses JAMES II. LAYMAN, SAML. S. CARPENTER.

It is also evident-that by shift-'

